ROMERO WHO WILL BE SPEAKING A LITTLE BIT LATER TODAY AS A PEDIATRICIAN EPIDEMIOLOGIST ON CHILDREN’S ISSUES AND THEN WE’RE ALSO PLEASED TO HAVE A STEWART WALTON OUR CHAIRMAN OF THE ECONOMIC. EVERY TASK FORCE TO GIVE US AN UPDATE AS WELL AS YOU KNOW YESTERDAY. I WAS IN WASHINGTON DC AND I MET WITH THE PRESIDENT, BUT LET ME JUST REMARK ON THE CITY OF WASHINGTON DC FOR A MOMENT. OUR NATION’S CAPITAL. I’VE NEVER SEEN THE TOWN SO EMPTY. I SO QUIET ALMOST ABANDONED. THE STREETS WERE EMPTY THE RETAIL SHOPS WERE ALL CLOSED. THE RESTAURANTS WERE CLOSED. THE HOTEL’S HAD WE’RE ALMOST EMPTY AND I LOOK AT THAT AND I HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS AND OF COURSE THEY’VE LEARNED TO WORK REMOTELY, BUT THOSE ARE THOSE THAT ARE IN THE HIGHER INCOME CATEGORIES, BUT IT IS THE LOW-INCOME SERVICE WORKERS ARE BEING SO ADVERSELY IMPACTED AND IT JUST ILLUSTRATES THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE HURTING OUT THERE. PARTICULARLY THE LOW MIDDLE INCOME AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO BE IN BUSINESS TO PROVIDE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A LIVING IN A SAFE FASHION AND TO DEAL WITH THIS AS A NATION. WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS AND TO LIVE EDUCATE AND MAKE A LIVING AT THE SAME TIME AND THAT LEADS ME TO THE REPORT TODAY ON THE CASES YESTERDAY. DR. SMITH REPORTED THAT WE HAD. FIVE THOUSAND THREE CASES IN ARKANSAS TODAY, WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 450 5 CASES HERE IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS. THIS IS THE LARGEST SINGLE-DAY INCREASE IN CASES SINCE WE HAVE BEEN REPORTING OF THOSE 455. DR. SMITH WILL GIVE THE EXACT NUMBERS IN TERMS OF THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY AND THOSE IN CORRECTIONS AND WE WILL LOOK THAT IN A MOMENT. AND SO TODAY WE HAVE FIVE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY EIGHT CASES WITH 86 HOSPITALIZED THAT REPRESENT AN INCREASE OF 7, AND WE HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL DEATHS THAT GIVE US A TOTAL OF 110 DEATHS IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS. WE HAVE TESTED 2616, WHICH IS A GOOD NUMBER NOT A RECORD NUMBER, BUT IT KEEPS US ON PACK PACK TARGET OF MAKING ARE ALL OF 60,000 TESTS DURING THE MONTH OF MAY THE POSITIVITY RATE IS FOUR POINT FOUR PERCENT WHICH AS YOU KNOW IS WELL BELOW OUR THE NATIONAL STANDARD OF 10% OR GOAL THAT HAS BEEN SET. LET’S GO THROUGH THE CHARTS TODAY AND YOU CAN SEE FROM DAY ONE. OUR LARGEST INCREASE WAS 300 PREVIOUSLY IN ONE DAY WE HAVE NOW AN INCREASE OF 455 CASES TODAY AND YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN FROM THOSE IN CORRECTIONS ALMOST EQUALLY WITH THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY AND FOR YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE WHENEVER YOU LOOK DEEPLY IN THE COMMUNITY AS TO WHERE THESE OCCUR SOME AND YELL COUNTY 33, THAT’S PROBABLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE POULTRY INDUSTRY BREAK OUT THERE. WE HAD 27 INCREASE IN BENTON COUNTY 26 IN WASHINGTON COUNTY AND 19 AND YOU COUNTY SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY ARE SCATTERED AROUND THE STATE IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT CHART, THIS IS A SEVEN DAY. WELL NO BACK THE SEVEN-DAY ROLLING AVERAGE AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE GOING UP BECAUSE OF THIS ENORMOUS SPIKE TODAY. AND YES, THIS IS A CONCERN TO US. WE’RE WATCHING IT VERY CAREFULLY. WE KNOW THAT IT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE INCREASED TESTING THAT WE’RE DOING, BUT IT’S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET AND DO OUR CONTRACT. MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHETHER THIS REPRESENTS A NEW OUTBREAK SOMEWHERE OR WHETHER IT IS JUST A REFLECTION OF INCREASED TESTING IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS A HOT NUMBER OF CURRENTLY HOSPITALIZED AND HERE AGAIN, WE’RE WAY BELOW OUR HEIGHTS BEFORE BUT WE’RE WATCHING THAT CAREFULLY. THE NEXT SLIDE IS THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE CASES AND HERE THE HIGHEST INCREASE IN ACTIVE CASES WAS THAT FORT NOT INCREASE BUT THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF ACTIVE CASES WAS 1,400 AND LOOKS LIKE ABOUT 25 AND SEWER APPROACHING THAT AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASE WE’VE HAD OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS AND SO THAT TREND IS CLEARLY A CONCERN TO US. THE NEXT SLIDE IS AND HERE’S THE ENCOURAGING NEWS IN IT THE REFLECTIVE OF THE INCREASED TESTING AND THAT IS THE PRESENT. COVID-19 POSITIVE TEST BY DATE OF RESULT AND OF COURSE AS WE STARTED OUT EARLY ON WE WERE DOING LITTLE TESTING VERY TARGETED. IT WAS WAY UP 32% POSITIVE RATING. IT WENT DOWN TO 25% HERE AND 10% IS WHAT THE CDC GUIDELINES SAYS IS WHAT YOU REALLY GOT TO WATCH FOR AND FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME WE’VE BEEN BELOW THAT WE HAD ONE ONE DAY THAT WAS UNIQUE. I THINK WE DID SOME TESTING PROBABLY OF THE CORRECTIONAL DELTA T’S AND EVEN TODAY EVEN THOUGH WE HAD A GREAT HIGHER NUMBER OF CASES ARE POSITIVITY RATE WAS BELOW 5% THOSE ARE ENCOURAGING NUMBERS AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF TESTS THAT WE’RE DOING AND THEN THE NEXT GRAPHIC AND THIS I WANT TO POINT OUT IS WAS TAKEN EARLIER TODAY BEFORE THE NEW CASES ARE POSTED. AND SO THIS NUMBER DOES NOT REFLECT THE NEW CASES THAT ARE IN THIS SYSTEM. THIS IS JUST MOMENT IN TIME FROM THE HEALTH WEBSITE AND I’M WHAT ALL ARKANSANS TO UNDERSTAND HOW EASY IT IS TO ACCESS THIS INFORMATION AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO IT SO THAT YOU CAN SEE NOT JUST THE NUMBER THAT STATEWIDE BUT YOU CAN LOOK ON EACH COUNTY WHERE YOU LIVE AND SEE THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE CASES IN YOUR AREA AND THIS HELPS GUIDE YOUR BEHAVIOR WHETHER YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE AND GETTING OUT OF WHAT ACTIONS YOU SHOULD TAKE. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO B ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THEIR AREA COURSE THE DARKER BLUE OR THE HIGHER NUMBER OF ACTIVE CASES THE LIGHTER BLUE AND WHITE ARE THE LOWER NUMBER OF ACTIVE CASES. AND LET’S SEE IF I CAN FIND THAT THE DEPARTING YOU GO TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WEBSITE THOUGH DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.COM AND YOU CAN LOG ON AND SEE THIS AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT TO GET THE LATEST INFORMATION ON YOUR PARTICULAR COUNTY NOW, LET ME COME BACK AND MAKE A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS TODAY. FIRST OF ALL THE CRATER OF DIAMONDS STATE PARK ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR STATE PARK VENUES IN ARKANSAS IS NOW OPEN ACTUALLY WILL BE OPEN TOMORROW MORNING, MAY 22ND AND SECRETARY STACY HEARSE. ASK THIS ANNOUNCEMENT TO BE MADE. THIS IS CLEARLY IMPORTANT TO THE ECONOMY OF SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS. IT’S A POPULAR DESTINATION AND WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE THAT REAL. OPEN WITH SOME RESTRICTIONS LIMITED TO 500 VISITORS PER DAY TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE AND WE ENCOURAGE THAT PHYSICAL SPACING WILL BE ENFORCED DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY AND TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED AT ARKANSAS STATE PARKS.COM. AND THEN WE INDICATE A SUPPOSED TO BE YESTERDAY, BUT I ASKED FOR IT TO BE ANNOUNCED TODAY BECAUSE THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME HAVING FAMILY. NUMBERS THAT GRANDCHILDREN THAT’S ENGAGED IN TEAM SPORTS. AND SO WE WANT TO GO TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND SOME OF THE RULES THAT ARE IN PLACE AND LET ME FIRST FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT YES, WE WANT TO HAVE TEAM SPORTS AND THIS PERTAINS THROUGH K THROUGH 12. IT IS NOT PERTAIN TO INTERCOLLEGIATE SPORTS, WHICH IS A SEPARATE CONVERSATION. THIS IS OUR TEAM SPORTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY LEVEL AND YELL WHEN IT COMES TO BASEBALL, LET’S PLAY BALL THIS SUMMER. IT’S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT WE WANTED TO PUT THE PROTOCOLS IN PLACE SO THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE CAN HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE AGAIN IN THIS TYPE OF WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER A NON-CONTACT TEAM SPORT NOW, LET ME GO THROUGH THIS A LITTLE MORE SPECIFICALLY AND THIS IS EFFECTIVE JUNE 1 SO NOTE THAT EFFECTIVE JUNE 1 TICKET SALES IF WE’RE IF YOU’RE SALES THE PURCHASE THEY SHOULD ONLINE IF POSSIBLE TEAM PRACTICE COMPETITION PROHIBITED FOR CLOSE CONTACT SUPPORTS LIKE BASKETBALL WRESTLING FOOTBALL VOLLEYBALL SOCCER AND MARTIAL ARTS AND I VISIT WITH DR. SMITH. WE SAY WE WILL REVISIT THOSE GUIDELINES AND THOSE SPORTS JUNE 30TH. AND SO THIS IS NOT A PERMANENT STATEMENT IN REGARD TO THOSE SPORTS, BUT IT IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, BUT EVEN IN THOSE SPORTS, THEY CAN’T HAVE INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE WITH THEIR OWN. BRETT MOMENT CONDITIONING TRAINING CAN BE USED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES FOR JIM’S CHEERLEADING AND DANCE MAY PRACTICE UNDER JIM DIRECTIVE RESTRICTIONS. THE PRACTICE THE COMPETITION IS ALLOWED FOR LIMITED CONTACT TEAM SPORTS, LIKE BASEBALL SOFTBALL TRACK GYMNASTICS AND SWIMMING AND OF COURSE WILL HAVE PHYSICAL DISTANCING WHENEVER POSSIBLE. WE’LL TRY TO USE YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT AND IF YOU’RE AN OLDER CITIZEN OR HAVE HEALTH CONCERNS AND YOU SHOULD NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN THOSE SPORTS YOU GO TO THE NEXT PART PART OF THE COMMUNICATION HERE. NOW THIS AGAIN IS THE TEAM SPORTS DISTANCING SHOULD BE REQUIRED EXCEPT DURING ACTIVE SPORTS ACTIVITY. OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU’RE PLAYING YOU’RE NOT GOING TO ALWAYS BE DOING THE DISTANCING THE ATHLETES THE COACHES AND STAFF SHOULD BE ASKED AND SCREENED TEMPERATURE CHECKS FOR COACHES AND STAFF FACE COVERINGS FOR EVERYONE 10 OR OLDER OBVIOUSLY WHILE THEY’RE COMPETING AND IN COMPETITION YOU REMOVE REMOVE THE MASK AND THE FACE COVERINGS THE COACHES AND STAFF WE WOULD ASK TO WEAR IT ALL TIMES. OBVIOUSLY IF THERE’S SOME QUESTIONS OR WE NEED TO REFINE THIS WE CAN COORDINATE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THERE’S SOME AREAS OF SOCIAL DISTANCING THAT CAN BE APPLIED THERE. BUT WE WANT THE COACHES IN THE STAFF TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE SO THAT THEY TAKE THIS HEALTH RISK SERIOUSLY AS WELL AND SO ALL THE OTHERS YOU CAN LOOK ON THE DIRECTIVE ITSELF FOR SOME SPECIFIC GUIDELINES. AND THEN IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT ONE, I THINK THERE’S ONE MORE SLIDE ON THIS. NO, I THINK THAT’S ALL AND SO THAT COVERS TEAM SPORTS AND I’M DELIGHTED THAT WE CAN PLAY SOME BALL EVEN UNDER CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES AND WITH SOME RESTRICTIONS THAT WERE NOT USED TO THIS ALLOWS US TO GET BACK WITH THE ACTIVITY AND WE CAN REVISIT SOME OF THOSE CONTACT SPORTS AFTER JUNE 30TH OR BEFORE WE WILL SEE WHERE WE ARE AS A STATE TO ADDRESS THAT I KNOW HOW THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR FAMILIES OUR COMMUNITIES AND WE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE THE PROPER SAFEGUARDS AND THEN BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO A DR. SMITH, I DID WANT TO COMMENT FOR A MOMENT ON OUR PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND THE PAYMENTS WERE TRYING TO GET TO OUR GIG WORKERS ARE SELF-EMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS WHO’VE APPLIED FOR ASSISTANCE. THE WEBSITE IS SECURE AND THE SIDE IS OPERATIONAL AS OF YESTERDAY MORNING AND AT NOON TODAY AS OF NOON TODAY OVER 15,000 CLAIMANTS HAVE BEEN EMAILED THAT THEY CAN GO ON THE SITE AND FILE THEIR WEEKLY CLAIMS AS A RESULT 5850 FOR CLAIMANTS HAVE ENTERED THEIR WEEKLY CLAIM AND ALMOST 4,000 EXACTLY 3975. HAD THE PAYMENT SENT OUT LAST NIGHT AND COULD BE IN THE CLAIMANTS. EITHER THIS EVENING OR TOMORROW MORNING ANOTHER 1879 CLAIMANTS HAD REQUESTED DEBIT CARDS, AND THEY WILL BE SENT THEIR CARDS. IT’LL BE A LITTLE BIT SLOWER PROCESS BECAUSE THEIR DEBIT CARDS, BUT THEY WILL BE SENT OUT AS WELL. AND I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PATIENT, BUT WE INDICATED WE’RE WORKING VERY HARD AND THE TEAM I APPLAUD THEM FOR WORKING OVERNIGHT EXTRA HOURS THROUGH THE WEEKENDS TO GET THE SYSTEM SECURE UP AND BUT ALSO THE WEEKLY CLAIMS APPROVED SO THE MONEY CAN BE CHECKED THE BANKS HAVE BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE TO ACCELERATE THE DEPOSITS WHENEVER THEY RECEIVE THE TRANSFERS AND SO WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE THOSE FUNDS BEING IN THE CLAIMANTS ACCOUNT STARTING LATE TODAY OR TOMORROW MORNING. AND OF COURSE OTHERS WILL CONTINUE TO FILE THEIR WEEKLY WEEKLY CLAIM REQUEST WITH THAT. DR. SMITH. THAN

Arkansas will allow overnight summer camps and team sports with restrictions, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Thursday.Camp counselors will be allowed to arrive as soon as May 24th. Campers will be allowed starting May 31st.Team sports will be allowed effective June 1, as long as they are limited-contact sports like baseball, softball, track, gymnastics and swimming."The summer camp experience is one of the pivotal things every year," said Chris Daughtrey, Executive Director of the Westark Area Council of Boy Scouts.The local council is celebrating a century of serving area youth. For nearly 70 years, the annual summer camp has been held at Camp Orr in Jasper, Arkansas located along the Buffalo River. It's the only scout camp in the country that is inside a national park.The camp is set to begin July 5th and will last 3 weeks."The scouting motto is 'be prepared' so we've been working on this for some time now to try and make sure that we're going to do it both, first and foremost, safe, but also to allow the kids to have fun," Daughtrey said. "We've been meeting regularly with our health council and one of the primary things is pre-camp screening. We've already sent information to prospective campers who've signed up and their leaders, telling the parameters for health screening. We'll also be doing a screening before they actually go down into camp."Organizers are expecting approximately 300 boys and girls to attend who spend one week camping overnight and participating in daily activities."We're not exactly sure how we're going to do the social distancing. We will do, of course, what we have to and what we need to from the state, but we're waiting on the announcement to see what those parameters are going to be," said Daughtrey.Registration is still underway for scouts and leaders who would like to attend the summer camp.Health officials will release information about the restrictions and guidelines set on camps Thursday.Summer camps have been banned since a governor's directive was issued on April 17. Team sports have been regulated by a number of directives, including a March 26th limitation on gatherings of 10 people and requiring them to stay at least 6 feet away.Follow this link for a timeline showing when facilities will reopen across Arkansas.Follow this link for the latest guidelines and directives in ArkansasMap shows coronavirus cases in ArkansasTrack "the curve" of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. —

Arkansas will allow overnight summer camps and team sports with restrictions, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Thursday.

Camp counselors will be allowed to arrive as soon as May 24th. Campers will be allowed starting May 31st.

Advertisement

Team sports will be allowed effective June 1, as long as they are limited-contact sports like baseball, softball, track, gymnastics and swimming.

"The summer camp experience is one of the pivotal things every year," said Chris Daughtrey, Executive Director of the Westark Area Council of Boy Scouts.

The local council is celebrating a century of serving area youth. For nearly 70 years, the annual summer camp has been held at Camp Orr in Jasper, Arkansas located along the Buffalo River. It's the only scout camp in the country that is inside a national park.

The camp is set to begin July 5th and will last 3 weeks.

"The scouting motto is 'be prepared' so we've been working on this for some time now to try and make sure that we're going to do it both, first and foremost, safe, but also to allow the kids to have fun," Daughtrey said. "We've been meeting regularly with our health council and one of the primary things is pre-camp screening. We've already sent information to prospective campers who've signed up and their leaders, telling the parameters for health screening. We'll also be doing a screening before they actually go down into camp."

Organizers are expecting approximately 300 boys and girls to attend who spend one week camping overnight and participating in daily activities.

"We're not exactly sure how we're going to do the social distancing. We will do, of course, what we have to and what we need to from the state, but we're waiting on the announcement to see what those parameters are going to be," said Daughtrey.

Registration is still underway for scouts and leaders who would like to attend the summer camp.

Health officials will release information about the restrictions and guidelines set on camps Thursday.